Darkness and light
by Millie 1985
Summary: Kylo Ren had been groomed for darkness all of his life. Ever since he had first heard Snoke's whispers in his mind he had known that he was destined to live and reign in darkness. He did not account for meeting Rey or the effect she would have on him. slight spoilers if you haven't seen the film.


Darkness and Light.

AN: OK first things first, I know a lot of people have problems with The Last Jedi, I am not one of them, I genuinely enjoyed it. It's not perfect but I don't think any film ever really is, this is not a fix it fic, it's just me having a play in the Star Wars sand box (or sand pit for us in the UK) and wondering what if? This takes place sometime after The Last Jedi, how long after is up to you. This is just a one shot, I have no plans to continue it beyond this. So, I hope you enjoy it for what it is, a wander through my slightly odd imagination. (Slight spoilers if you haven't seen the film)

Summary: Kylo Ren had been groomed for darkness all of his life. Ever since he had first heard Snoke's whispers in his mind he had known that he was destined to live and reign in darkness. He did not account for meeting Rey or the effect she would have on him.

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Kylo Ren was the supreme leaded of the first order. He had become the most powerful and feared being in the galaxy, a feat that not even his own Grandfather had achieved. Vader for all of his power had always been second best nothing more that the emperors pet. Kylo had not only matched the man's legacy as he had set out to do he had surpassed it, he should have been revelling in his victory but he wasn't, he couldn't because the nagging voices that called to him from the light would not stop. He had turned his back on the light long ago, he had proven that time and time again but the voices would not except that.

Ever since the night of the massacre at Luke's Jedi academy the voices had been there and as the years passed they only got louder. More and more voices seemed to join the chorus calling for him to repent. They were one with the force, they saw and knew all, how could they possibly not understand that this was a path that he couldn't turn away from, this was his destiny and there was nothing they could say or do to convince him otherwise. At least that's what he thought before the ghosts began appearing to him.

Kylo had heard the stories of the great Jedi of the past who in their own way had overcome death by becoming one with the force. It was said that some of the Jedi were even strong enough to take on a ghostly almost corporal form and show themselves to those still among the living.

Back when he was still known as Ben Solo, Kylo had wanted nothing more than a visit from a force ghost, as they had come to be known but they never came to him. Now that he had no need of them they would not go away, they were beginning to threaten his already questionable sanity.

Almost everywhere he looked he saw the disappointed eyes of some Jedi master or another. Some were clearer than others and some were far more persistent that others. The worst offender in Kylo's mind was the man with whom he had once sheared a name, Ben Kenobi.

Ben or Obi Wan had been the first of the force ghosts to do more than just glare at him, on his first night as Kylo Ren the old man had turned up and lectured him for hours about how terrible his misdeeds were, then he had gone on to preach about how it was not too late for him to turn back. Kylo had believed that if he ignored the man he would just give up and go away but he never did, night after night the man came back to plead with Kylo.

Strangely after that first night there had been no anger from the Jedi just sadness and maybe a little hope, another strange occurrence was that each time Ben Kenobi appeared to Kylo he seemed to get younger. By the time Kylo Ren had become the supreme leader the Obi wan he saw each night looked very much like he had in the time of the clone wars.

The night after the death of Snoke was the first time in years that Kylo could sense anger coming from the Jedi Knight, he could feel it rolling off of the man in waves and as much as that anger pleased the supreme leader it also scared him a little.

For a long time, Obi Wan just stared at the younger man clearly trying to control his anger as a good Jedi should, Kylo Ren could feel the exact moment that the Jedi finally managed to conquer the emotion that had for a moment so nearly ruled him. Kylo honestly didn't know if he was disappointed or relived by the change.

"How long do you think she will believe the lie you put in her head?" the Jedi asked and Kylo had to fight the urge to laugh, of course it wasn't his killing of Snoke that angered the man it was his manipulation of the girl. Lying about her parents had been low of him but he had been desperate.

"Not long" he admitted with a shrug of his shoulders, trying to hide his guilt behind a façade of nonchalance's "But long enough for her to at least consider my offer".

"She won't join you Ren" Obi Wan sighed "she ran from your darkness all those years ago and she will again, the only chance you ever had to be with her was with you both on the side of the light, now that you have lied to her I fear even that is no longer an option, you have pushed her too far this time"

"She didn't run" Kylo snarled at Obi Wan "you took her from me, you stole her away and abandoned her on that dust ball of a planet".

"I didn't steal her" Obi Wan told the young man softly "your actions that night terrified her, she watched as the person she believed cared about her the most became a monster and killed innocent children without remorse. She called out to me to save her from you and by the grace of the force I was able to help her when she needed me the most" he had tried to explain this to Kylo many times but the young man had never been willing or able to take in what he was saying.

"I never would have hurt her, I was trying to protect her" Kylo fumed.

"I know you believe that Ben" Obi Wan said softly using the name Kylo had been born with "that is why I held out hope for you for so long" he sighed "but now that you are using her just like you have used others in the past, I fear my hope for you is fading".

"Let it fade" Kylo snapped "I don't care".

"I know you don't" Obi Wan agreed sadly "but you should also know this when the time comes she will end your reign of terror one way or another and I will do all I can to help her" he swore

Kylo let out a bitter laugh "A lost little girl who can't even remember her own name the force ghost of a washed-up Jedi, why exactly should I be worried about the two of you?"

"Because you maybe an all-powerful Skywalker" Obi Wan mocked him coolly "but my granddaughter and I are Kenobi's, I stopped you grandfather once and she will stop you". With that Obi Wan faded away leaving Kylo with only his thoughts and his memories.

Memories of his time at his Uncle's academy and the tiny little girl that had first become his shadow then his friend and finally his reason to fall.

Snoke had always been there in the dark calling to Ben but he had resisted the demon right up until it had offered him a trade Ben's soul in exchange for Ray's. If Ben gave in and followed him not only would she be spared from the massacre but Snoke also swore he would never reach out to her the way he had to Ben. The young man knew the monster was probably lying but if there was any chance he could save his tiny friend he had to take it.

Ben Solo had died to protect Ray Kenobi, he had become Kylo Ren, a monster just like the one who had haunted him for years, he had told himself it was worth it because she was safe but now he wasn't so sure. Now she was in danger not because of him but from him, he had become her very own Snoke without even realising it.

Kylo felt sick as he admitted that to himself and for the first time in years the pleading voices from the force fell silent, he was struck with the sudden realisation that perhaps Obi Wan wasn't the only one giving up on him, had they all finally excepted his decision or where they just giving him a chance to come to his senses.

For the first time in a long time Kylo actually wanted to listen to those voices, for one wild moment he wanted to come back into the light but then he remembered what Snoke had said in the throne room, darkness rises and light to meet it, the force always keeping the balance.

If Kylo walked away from the darkness was there any way he could be sure he would not be throwing Ray into it in his place, the simple answer was no and so his decision was made he would stay on his path and she would stay on hers.

Once again, a Skywalker and a Kenobi would face one another in battel and once again the fate of the galaxy would rest on the outcome of the fight but this time the Skywalker would be rooting for the Kenobi every step of the way because Kylo knew no matter what happened to him Ray had to survive.

She was the galaxy's only hope but more than that she was Ben Solo's only hope. He had died for her once and he knew the time was fast approaching for him to do so again.

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PS when I was writing this I did not think of it as a romance, I was thinking of Ben/Kylo as Rey's somewhat conflicted protector but looking back I suppose it can be taken in a romantic way if you so wish.


End file.
